


Oh my God... They were bandmates!

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, band au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29088357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: When Strawberry Sunrise finally give Adam Taurus the boot, they find themselves in sore need of a new guitarist.Fortunately for them, their violinist just so happens to have a sister that might just be what the band (and possible one Blake Belladonna) needs.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 56
Kudos: 328





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yep. Another pilot chapter. Let me know what y’all think and if you want to see more of this one!

* * *

  
“We’re done, Adam.”

“What do you  _ mean _ we’re—“

“I mean what I said,” Blake says, hoping and praying that the tremble in her voice isn’t as obvious to the man standing in the doorway of her garage. She swallows, hard, and actively fights against the impulse to pin her ears against her head as Adam sneers at her. “We’ve been talking and we’ve come to the conclusion that you need to leave.”

“We?” Adam says through a low growl, his hand gripping the strap of his guitar case tightly as he turns his glare upon the rest of their band. “So you’ve been going behind my back? I thought we  _ had  _ something, Blake.”

“Dude, you treat Blake like shit,” Ruby’s voice pipes up and she steps forward, placing herself in between Blake and Adam despite being a good few inches shorter than Blake. “We’ve  _ all  _ seen it. We’re not blind and honestly? We’ve had enough and so has she so… you need to leave.”

“Don’t start with me, you little—“

“Don’t even think about it,” Blake says, cutting Adam off and stepping forward to curl her hand protectively over the younger girl’s shoulder. She glances at Ruby, smiling shakily at her as her friend steps closer to her and curls her arm around her waist and squeezes her reassuringly. It’s a gentle reminder of what Blake’s found, a small family that had found their way into each other’s lives within the dark of Blake’s garage and supported each other,  _ loved  _ each other. It reminds Blake that she’d do anything to protect them, including looking Adam Taurus in the face and choosing them over him. “She’s right. You’re arrogant, hot headed and suffer from a complete lack of respect and compassion for anyone that isn’t a fucking mirror. You need to leave.”

“And if I don’t?” Adam challenges, stepping forward and smirking at Blake and Ruby, his long hair falling into his face and hiding his eyes from them. 

Almost immediately, Blake feels the warm presence of Sun Wukong at her back, his hands curling around her shoulders and squeezing gently. A second later, she feels Ilia press a hand against her hip, her gaze locked onto Adam as he takes a step back, his jaw tensing as he glowers at them furiously.

“Then we’ll have to involve lawyers in this mess, Mr. Taurus,” A sharp voice snaps and Blake arches a brow as Weiss storms into the garage past Adam, pausing to look up at him with a withering glare that could easily kill a man. She curls her lip in disgust, her blue eyes sharp and angry as she takes him in and practically spits at him. “And I don’t think that you want that. My team will have your head if you so much as  _ breathe  _ in Blake’s direction. Do I make myself clear?”

Adam growls low in his throat as Weiss approaches Blake, her gaze softening slightly as she reaches out to slip her hand into Blake’s. Blake meets Adam’s gaze, flinching as his hand twitches at his side; to her credit, she refuses to break eye contact with him. Not this time.

“Crystal,” Adam hisses through his teeth before turning on his heel and storming from Blake’s garage. His exit is followed by the engine of a motorbike, the tires squealing as Adam takes off, hopefully never to return again.

Blake lets out a shaky breath, laughing weakly as her bandmates, her family, turn to her and wrap her up in an impossibly tight hug. She can feel Sun nuzzling the back of her head, with Ilia holding her tightly by her shoulders, her forehead pressed against her neck. Ruby curls into her free side, her fade tickling the skin of Blake’s bicep as she presses against her. A soft sigh escapes Weiss as she wraps her arms around Blake as best as she can, letting Blake bury her face in her white hair as the tears begin to fall.

They would have to find a new guitarist… but for now, Blake knows she can just focus on freedom and healing and the feeling of her family holding her tightly.

* * *

It’s around a month later when Blake lets out a soft giggle as Ruby saunters into her living room and flops down beside her on the couch, grinning up at Blake as she lays her head in her lap. “ _ Why  _ does every mother fucker feel the need to use me as a pillow?”

“You’re comfy,” Ruby shrugs, reaching up to poke Blake’s jaw as she huffs. “Hey, so… I was thinking about the whole guitarist situation…”

“Uh oh.”

“No! Not “uh oh,” you ass!” Ruby growls, elbowing Blake in the ribs gently and pouting up at her. “You’re all so mean to me!”

“You’re the baby of our group, sweetie. Of course, we’re mean to you.”

“Ugh!” Ruby yells, throwing her hands up and sitting up to glare very ineffectively at Blake as she snorts a laugh. “You’re such a shitlord,” Ruby grumples, batting indignantly at Blake’s hand as she attempts to ruffle her hair. “Anyway… like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted… I have this sister—“

“Oh… the hot busker, right?” Blake comments, tilting her head curiously. She hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the infamous elder Xiao Long-Rose sibling due to Ruby blatantly refusing to let her sister embarrass her but she had seen plenty of videos of Yang performing in the streets of Vale. She never sang but she didn’t need to, not with her music, body and facial expressions telling a story.

“I- Blake, please.”

“What? I’m not blind, Ruby. She’s very attractive.” Blake says with a soft smirk, playfully poking her friend’s nose as she sighs wearily. “Honestly, I’m offended I haven’t gotten to meet her in person yet.”

“I thought you said you weren’t looking to date for a while?”

“Who ever said anything about  _ dating? _ ” 

“... huh?” Ruby frowns for a second, her mind processing Blake’s words and her sharp smile before realisation hits and she pales, almost appearing ill, as she grabs a cushion and begins bludgeoning a cackling Blake with it. “That’s filth, Blake! Fiiiillllllth! And also… that’s my sister you’re talking about!” Ruby groans miserably, collapsing back into Blake’s lap and whining. “I don’t wanna hear that crap about my sister.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll behave.” Blake chuckles softly, running her hand through her long hair, humming softly as her fingers brush against her undercut, and drapes her arm along the back of her couch lazily. “Alright. So I know she can play acoustic like a mother fucker. Can she play electric?”

“Yep!” Ruby chirps, her silver eyes gleaming with amusement as she looks up at Blake with a grin. “She’s better than Adam ever was. Just you wait.”

“Okay, bring her over for a practice session and we’ll put her through her paces.” Blake smirks, playfully clapping her hand over Ruby’s face as squishing her cheeks as she protests loudly. “Let’s see if she’s the guitarist that Strawberry Sunrise needs, shall we?”

* * *

Blake flinches as an outrageously bright yellow motorbike pulls into her driveway. The engine makes her heart race, reminding of far too often of the harsh voice that used to follow it. Swallowing thickly, she stands up from her porch steps and crosses her arms and adopts a neutral expression as the rider kills the engine and stretches out her back. Blake bites her cheek, silently and cautiously watching as the woman takes off her helmet and… oh.

_ Oh no. _

_ She’s hotter in person and that’s a fucking problem. _

Long, golden hair curls over her shoulders, falling against the leather of her jacket as she rolls her shoulders. The white shirt she wears underneath the jacket rests perfecting on her collarbone, the hem riding up  _ just  _ enough for Blake to get a glance at the toned skin beneath. With a grin, she dismounts and turns to Blake, arching a brow over the top of her aviator glasses and waves enthusiastically. “Yo! Belladonna, right? My sister won’t shut up about you.” 

“And  _ you’re  _ Xiao Long, yeah?” Blake says, covering the way her breathing hitches with a soft cough. She watches as Yang I straps a gig bag from her bike and slings it over her shoulder easily and offers her a polite smile. “Ruby’s told me a lot about your skill set. I gotta say… considering what I’ve seen online? I’m  _ really  _ hoping to be impressed today.”

“O-oh? The famous Blake Belladonna has seen little old me’s videos? I’m starstruck,” Yang teases, her lips curling into a soft smirk as she approaches Blake. There’s a faint blush covering her cheeks and for a split second, Blake thinks that she catches Yang checking her out, though it’s hard to tell because of the glasses. “Soooo… lead the way, Blake,” She awkwardly adds with a lazy grin, removing her glasses and winking playfully at Blake.

Blake inhales sharply, nods and turns on her heel to lead Yang into her garage, trying desperately to ignore the way her heart was now racing for an entirely  _ new _ reason. 

_ How was it okay for Yang to have eyes like that? What even was that shade? Lilac? And did they really have to shine with a genuine kindness that apparently runs in her family? _

Blake bites back a groan as Yang steps forward to greet the rest of the team, wincing as Sun runs up to her and welcomes her excitedly. Ilia is much more subdued, though Blake could really do without the knowing smirk Ilia throws her way before making her way over to her bass and showing Yang where to set up her guitar as Sun runs for his kit.

“Yaaaaaang! Noooooooo!”

Blake raises a brow, trying very hard not to smile at the sight of Yang pulling her sister into a head lock and ruffling her hair playfully. There’s already a stark difference when Blake compares her to Adam, an easiness and playfulness that Adam had never exuded. It’s strange how easily Yang’s energy seems to fit into their group. 

But alas, a well fitting energy is not enough and so, Blake pushes herself off of the wall and steps towards her mic, picking it up in her hands and turning to Yang with a slow, sharp smirk. “Alright, Xiao Long. We’re going to start off with a Halestorm cover if you’re up for that?”

“Halestorm? You’re speaking my language, babe,” Yang drawls cockily, smirking right back at Blake as she lifts a yellow electric guitar into her arms, slinging the strap across her body and cracking her knuckles. “What song?”

“Hmm… you know “I Am The Fire?” by any chance?”

“Ooh. Starting off hot, huh? I can respect that.”

Blake’s smirk shifts into a grin as Ruby, Sun and Ilia all groan, their faces falling into their hands at the pun. Blake shakes her head, snorting lightly as she turns back to the front, attempting to ignore the  _ horrifically _ cute giggle Yang lets out. “Alright, comedian. Ruby’s going to lead us into it with her violin—“

“Crescent Rose! Respect the lady enough to use her name, you heathen!”

“... with Crescent Rose,” Blake corrects herself with a sigh, her left ear rotating back when Yang snickers once more. She bites back a smile and glances over her shoulder at Yang, arching a brow curiously at the guitarist and smirking lightly. “ _ You  _ come in after “My flame is rising higher” and show us what you’ve got, yeah?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Yang quips, offering Blake a two fingered salute and  _ another  _ wink that very quickly has heat rushing to her face. 

“Right,” Blake mutters, turning away and swallowing thickly before giving Ruby a nod. “Lead us in, small fry.”

Blake falls into the music quickly, her eyes drifting shut as her heart and blood begin to race. The words flow from her lips easily, her body and head moving in time with the music that played. There’s a special sort of freedom found in playing music, in singing and creating something beautiful and powerful with her friends. It’s always felt like coming home… and now, as Yang’s guitar slides into the mix, she can’t help but wonder at just how  _ right  _ it fits. 

Yang plays well, performing to their imaginary audience as well as strumming her strings and fingering the fretboard. Every so often, Blake turns to watch her and for the briefest of moments, she swears that she sees flames dancing in her hair as the sun shines in through the open door and illuminates it. When their eyes meet, Blake finds herself relieved for the lull in lyrics because she’s sure she would have faltered as electricity courses through her, stunning her. Yang’s eyes almost look crimson in the sunlight, her lips curled into an excited grin, and Blake finds herself having to look away lest she burn alive.

By the time the song ends, she can feel everyone vibrating with an excited energy. Sun’s grinning wildly and waving his drumsticks in the air, his blue eyes wide and thrilled as he launches himself from his seat and all but tackles Yang. Yang takes it in stride, curling her arm around his neck and holding him in place as she rubs her knuckles against his head. Ilia approaches Yang with an impressed smile, playfully bumping her shoulder with the back of her hand to make her leg go. Ruby jumps into Yang’s back, crowing proudly and poking her face as Yang laughs, loud and delighted.

For a moment, Blake can’t help but watch, in awe of how easily Yang fits into the group. It’s almost as if the role had never meant to be for Adam at all. It’s as if it had always meant to be for Yang, just waiting for her to come and take. Perhaps it’s a silly notion… but Blake’s struck with the thought of destiny and fate, struck with the rather embarrassing thought that maybe, just maybe, Yang Xiao Long belongs with them.

“I think we’ve got our guitarist.” Blake says softly, far too softly considering she’s known Yang all of twenty minutes. 

Yang grins at her, her lilac eyes dancing as their companions whoop and high five each other, and Blake wonders if it’s such a silly thought at all. Maybe Yang does belong with them…

But she supposes only time will tell and for the first time in a very long time, Blake’s excited to see what that will be.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake realised that there may be more to their new guitarist than meets the eye.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Weiss,” Blake groans, leaning back against her side of the booth and draping her arms across its back. She drops her head against it, staring up at the ceiling and sighing heavily. “Y’know… when you invited me out for lunch, I though it was as my  _ friend _ , not as my bodyguard.”

“I  _ am  _ here as your friend!” Weiss protests, crossing her arms and sniffing indignantly. There’s a sharpness to her words that fails to meet her eyes, her gaze soft and gentle as she looks at Blake. “I just- look. Our last guitarist didn’t exactly….  _ go well—“ _

_ “ _ No shit, princess.”

“And Adam completely disrupted the band,” Weiss continues, folding her hands in the table and giving Blake a long look, her teeth toting with her bottom lip thoughtfully. “He disrupted  _ you  _ and now… we’ll, I’m just worried that you’re trying to move on too quickly. It’s okay if you’re not ready—“

“We’ve been without a lead guitarist for a  _ month,  _ Weiss,” Blake points out, wetting her lips anxiously and sighing softly as she turns from the restaurant to look out of the window beside them, her jaw tensing as she talks. “I get it. I fucked up when I brought Adam in. He caused a lot of problems. But I won’t be making that mistake again. Besides, it’s  _ Ruby’s  _ sister. You gotta admit that that’s promising in of itself.”

“It wasn’t your fault he wasn’t the man you thought he was,” Weiss says calmly, her voice gentle enough to bring Blake’s attention back to her with a cautious glance. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I just… don’t want you to feel pressured into working with another guitarist when our last one treated you the way he did. You’re allowed to take time to heal.”

“It’s… intimidating,” Blake admits quietly, leaning forward and letting her best friend and manager take her hands reassuringly. “But the thing is… we need a new guitarist. We need those gigs. And, if I’m being honest, I need to work. He’s done a lot of damage… but I can’t let this band be a part of that. I can’t let him turn my passion into fear. So… I’ll work with Yang. She fits in well and she’s got a good energy.”

“Okay. If you say so,” Weiss sighs, pulling back and reaching for her glass of wine and arching a brow at Blake as she takes a sip. “But if she hurts you—“

“She’s our  _ guitarist.  _ It’s not like I’m gonna fall in love with her.” Blake chuckles, smirking softly as Weiss as she leans back in her seat and shrugs. “ _ God,  _ Weiss. I don’t have that much of a type.”

“You think she’s hot.”

“Don’t you?” Blake fires back, grinning as she brings her whisky up to her lips and giggles softly as Weiss’s cheeks erupt into flames, her fair skin tinting a furiously flustered pink as she stutters. “C’mon, Weiss. Admit it. You think she’s hot,” Blake teases, leaning forward with a wicked grin as Weiss’s cheeks grow darker and darker. “You’re not even the  _ tiniest  _ bit curious about  _ what else  _ she can play with those fing—“

“You disgust me.”

“You’re the one that caused a scandal because you got photographed making out with Coco Adel at one of our after parties,” Blake says with an amused chuckle, playfully nudging Weiss’s foot under the table as her friend casts her an utterly stricken look. “On the hood of  _ my  _ car, no less. I mean… I know you two hate each other but I didn’t think it was a hate-sex thing—“

“I hate you. So,  _ so  _ much.”

Blake huffs a soft laugh, grinning lightly when Weiss grumbles under her breath and kicks her boots gently. For all of her blustering, Blake knows only too well how much Weiss cares. It’s just a matter of getting through her tough outer shell first. 

“Hey. I’m serious. I’m going to be fine,” Blake comments, reaching across the table to squeeze Weiss’s wrist gently, smiling warmly at her friend. “She’s a talented guitarist, she fits into the group well and she’s not a dick. She might be what we need after Adam.”

“You’re right,” Weiss sighs, casting a fond look at Blake before opening her menu and humming softly. “When do I get to meet her? I need her to sign some paperwork.”

“The kids convinced me to have a party— don’t give me that look. It’s just going to be the band,” Blake snorts, smirking lightly at Weiss’s horrified expression. “C’mon. It’s this weekend. Everyone will be there, Yang included. You can meet her and intimidate her into good behaviour yourself.”

“... fine. Somebody has to babysit you heretics.”

“Love you too, Weiss.”

Blake giggles softly, ignoring the sharp look Weiss sends her and opens her menu. Admittedly, she knows that she’s attracted to Yang. But it’s as she told Weiss; it’s not like she’s going to fall in love with the woman.

She’s just their guitarist after all.

* * *

“NO!”

“Sun, you moron. I told you Yang would beat you in an arm wrestling match.”

“My title of buff, hot and blonde has been stolen!”

Blake snorts from where she sits in her kitchen, back against a wall as she sits upon a countertop. A bottle of beer dangles from her fingers and a fond smile crosses her face as she looks out into her living room, watching as her bandmates talk amongst themselves. She can see Weiss sitting on a recliner, her eyebrows raised as she presses two fingers against her temple and tries incredibly hard not to smile. A low chuckle escapes Blake as Sun flops onto his back with a disappointed whine. Her smile grows when Ruby lets out a laugh, followed soon by Ilia and Yang.

“Dorks.”

Blake’s voice is quiet and fond as she speaks to herself, looking down at her legs and absentmindedly picking at the frayed fabric of her jeans. Her ears twitch when footsteps enter the kitchen and, upon looking up, she feels her cheeks begin to burn as Yang reaches into the fridge and plucks out a fresh beer for herself. The guitarist had long since shed her jacket, which is both fortunate  _ and  _ unfortunate in that Blake now has to suffer through the knowledge that Yang’s built like a brick shithouse. 

“Huh. Bit strange for a host to be hiding away in the kitchen, Belladonna.”

“Huh. Bit strange for a guitarist on a trial run to sass one of the people in charge of whether or not she stays.”

“Hm… see… you kicking me out just because I’m a little sassy would be a horrible abuse of power and something tells me you’re a little more fair than that,” Yang says with a grin that regrettably makes Blake’s heart flutter nervously. She leans against the opposite counter and arches her brow slowly at Blake, watching her,  _ observing  _ her, and Blake fights back the urge to duck her head. “So… you set this whole snack and drinks party up for your crew and instead of joining in on the fun and watching your boy Sun get his ass kicked by the newbie, you’re in your kitchen… drinking alone—“ Yang takes a sip, maintaining eye contact with Blake as she drinks, her lips curling into a smile as she lowers the bottle and sighs. “— bit odd, don’t you think?”

“Maybe I’m just really fucking introverted,” Blake retorts, narrowing her eyes at Yang as she takes a sip of her own beer, careful to maintain eye contact just as Yang had done to her. “Maybe I’m a wallflower.”

“Oh, I doubt that. There is  _ no _ way that you’re a wallflower, Belladonna.”

“You don’t even know me,” Blake grunts, pressing her lips into a thin, stubborn line when Yang lets out a disbelieving chuckle. “But feel free to prove me wrong, Xiao Long. I’d  _ love  _ to hear what the strange, new guitarist thinks about me.”

“For starters… you’re the lead singer of your band. You’re front and centre and you  _ thrive  _ off of the attention. I’ve seen you perform. You know how to put on a show and you  _ love  _ it,” Yang says, placing her beer behind her and stepping away from her counter. Her hands are shoved nonchalantly into her jean pockets and her stance is relaxed and unbothered by Blake’s challenge. “I’ve heard how you met Ruby a thousand times by now— how you met in a bookstore and struck up a friendship. You encouraged her, took this shy, gangly kid under your wing and brought her into your band when you discovered just how talented she was with the violin. You  _ believed  _ in her from the start, had faith in her abilities and you have no idea how much she needed that.”

“It’s called being a decent person,” Blake scoffs, rolling her eyes as Yang gives her the most exasperated look she had ever seen on a person. “I was just being the person I wished I had when I was younger. No big deal.”

“Fine. How about the fact that whenever you look at your crew here, I can tell that you love them like they’re family? That you  _ want  _ to join in but for some reason, just don’t?” Yang steps closer, her lilac eyes locked on Blake’s face and Blake gets the terrifying feeling that Yang can see her soul. “I don’t know much about the last guitarist but I know that you were damn ready to get rid of him, even fight him, when he began to threaten your family. So… no. I don’t think you’re a wallflower in the slightest.”

“Oh no?”

“Nope!” Yang says, popping the P as she tilts her head at Blake, a slow smile crossing her lips that almost seems… sad. Her gaze is sympathetic, though it lacks pity, and Blake doesn’t quite know what to do with it. “I think… that somebody shoved you into a corner for so long that you’ve forgotten how much you like being in the centre of a room and honestly? I reckon that’s a little sad—“ Yang pauses, her gaze soft and intense before suddenly, she grins and turns abruptly around to grab her beer and take a long sip from it. “But hey. Maybe you  _ are  _ a wallflower and I’m just a dumbass. Either way, I look forward to finding out who, exactly, Blake Belladonna is.”

Blake watches, slack jawed, as Yang saunters out of the kitchen and heads back into the living room. Blake looks away, staring down at her bear in utter confusion. Her pulse feels like the heavy beat of Sun’s kick drum, her heart racing faster than Ruby’s fingers across her violin. There’s a ringing in her ears louder than Ilia’s keyboard and she can’t deny that Yang had read her as easily as she played her guitar. 

Blake shudders silently, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the wall with a dull thud. The last person to read her so well was Adam… and even then, that had been more about her flaws. Everything that she did wrong at every single fucking turn.

But Yang? Yang had simply listed good things. As though trying to get Blake to see what a stranger sees. There had been a gentleness in her observations, something that Blake had never felt under  _ his. _

“Maybe I’m looking forward to seeing who Yang Xiao Long is too,” Blake murmurs quietly to herself, biting her lip as she opens her eyes and tries to ignore the familiar flutter that’s beginning to build in her chest. 

After all… there’s no harm in simply being  _ friends  _ with their guitarist… 

Right?

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see how the new guitarist has been settling in... as well how she may have been affecting our lead vocalist.

Blake sighs heavily and walks over to where Ruby is currently standing on top of her dining room table and pointing at Sun dramatically. With barely any effort, she reaches up and grabs the front of Ruby’s red hoodie and tugs, bringing her crashing down onto one of her shoulders with a slight grunt.

“What the fu— Blake! Put me down!”

“No.” Blake deadpans, swinging around and pausing at the sight of Yang entering the room. The guitarist arches a brow above her sunglasses, slowly lowering them with a finger to give Blake an amused stare as she leans against the doorway, lips curling into a soft smirk as her sister wiggles on top of Blake’s shoulder defiantly. “You can stay up there until you calm down.”

“Blake!”

“What’s my brat of a sister done now, Belladonna?” Yang drawls, chuckling softly as Ruby kicks out her legs, a soft growl escaping the younger girl when Blake grips the back of her knees a little tighter. 

“She’s trying to challenge Sun to see who can eat the most choc chip cookies within five minutes.” Blake says through a long suffering sigh, staring at Yang with the expression of a woman that has seen it all. “This happens far too regularly so I’m expecting you, as Ruby’s sister, to help me wrangle her.”

“I’m 22! I don’t need to be wrangled!”

“Yes, you do.” Blake retorts, smirking as she bounces her weight and jostles a screeching Ruby up and down.”

“No, I don’t, you ass!”

“Yes, you do, you bitch.”

“Screw you!”

Blake huffs a soft laugh, glancing up at Yang and freezing when their eyes meet. She’d been expecting to see Yang smirking at her, ready to tease her as she often had over the last month’s worth of practice since Weiss had signed her into the team. But instead, Yang’s lilac eyes are soft and gentle as she watches their antics, her smirk giving way to a soft smile that feels far more dangerous than any smirk. Blake swallows, hard, as they look at each other, her ears tilting backwards as  _ something  _ builds between them, though she couldn’t tell you what…

At least until Ruby reaches down and jabs her sharply in her ribs with her fingers, causing Blake to let go of her with an embarrassingly high pitched squeal.

“You can take my sweets and you can take my violin!” Ruby crows victoriously, digging her fingers into Blake’s sides as she collapses to the ground in a heap of helpless giggles, tears of mirth spilling down her cheeks. “But you’ll never take my freedom!”

“I would do something about this… but I really don’t feel like it.”

“Yes! Yang’s on the side of good! I knew it!”

Blake attempts to glower at Yang as she desperately attempts to bat Ruby’s hands away from her sides, gasping through her laughter as Ruby snickers above her. She really should have guessed that Yang would side with the devil.

“What is going— Ruby Rose!”

Blake snorts, giggling quietly as Ruby jumps to her feet and grins sheepishly at Weiss as she enters the room with a sharp, piercing glare. The manager pinches the bridge of her nose with her finger tips and steps forward, ignoring Yang and giving Ruby and Blake a long suffering look. “I need you to know that every single one of you is another reason why I need to go to therapy.”

“Wait… Blake, does that mean she talks about  _ us?”  _ Ruby says in a loud stage whisper as she leans towards Blake, mischief shining in her silver eyes as Weiss gives her a wary glance. “To  _ other  _ people?”

“It does.” Blake smirks, climbing to her feet and wrapping her arms around Weiss’s shoulders and pulling her into a hug. “She  _ loves  _ us, guys.”

“Wha- I do  _ not!” _

Blake giggles into her friend’s hair as Ruby, Sun and Ilia all instantly, as if on cue, wander over to join in on the hug, squeezing Weiss tightly as they all coo at her with sickly sweet voices. Blake glances over at Yang and catches her watching them awkwardly, as though she’s not quite sure what to do. Feeling a flash of sympathy for her, as well as a strike of boldness, Blake reaches out a hand and curls it around Yang’s wrist and tugs her into the outskirts of the group. She chuckles at the soft squeak of surprise that leaves Yang’s throat and offers her a small, amused smile when she meets her eyes with an inquisitive stare.

“You’re a part of the band now, Xiao Long.” Blake murmurs, looking away as her cheeks begin to burn. “That includes group hugs too.”

When Yang’s hand settles against Blake’s shoulders, it’s all she can do not to launch herself away from the group. Instead, she bites her bottom lip and tries to ignore how electricity had just shot down her spine, how Yang’s touch had made her pulse race and her mind spin. Her throat runs dry and it’s all she can do not to pull away.

It’s only been a  _ month.  _ Yang shouldn’t be affecting her like this. Not her smile or her laugh and certainly not her touch. What was wrong with her?

“Would you all— I have a gig for you idiots! Let go!”

“Awww! Thanks, Ice Queen!”

“Shut up! Don’t touch me!”

Blake snorts.  _ Says the woman wrapping her arms around Ilia’s torso “subtly”. _

Regardless of how Yang affects her… she has to admit that it’s nice to get back into the swing of performing again.

* * *

“Quick question; how the  _ fuck  _ does Sun manage to make such a fucking mess within the time span of  _ one  _ practice session?”

“Trust me, Xiao Long. You get used to it. Adapt or die and all that.”

“Such a ray of sunshine you are, Belladonna.”

“Bite me.” Blake says with faux cheerfulness, turning from her trash bag to grin a very obviously fake grin at Yang from one side of the garage as they walk around and finish tidying up. “Or  _ I _ can bite  _ you.”  _ She adds quietly under her breath, watching as Yang bends over to grab an empty bottle of Sunflower Pop, the action causing the fabric of her jeans to pull tight over her ass. With a self disparaging sigh, Blake shakes her head and turns away, ignoring her burning cheeks and focusing on the task at hand. “You don’t have to do this after  _ every  _ practice, you know. I’ve got it handled, what with this being my house and all.”

And it was true. Blake had been surprised to find that, long after the rest of their crew had disappeared off to their other commitments and loved ones, Yang had been the last to leave Blake’s home; instead, she opted to stay behind and help Blake with clean up. Admittedly, cleaning up was made all the more faster thanks to her help… and all the more interesting, considering Yang enjoyed conversation. Not that Blake minds. Yang’s voice was… pleasant, to say the least.

“This being  _ your  _ house is all the more reason for me to actually help. I get it that the others are busy and all but, like… it doesn’t feel right to just leave while you’re stuck cleaning up our mess.” Yang says with a shrug, humming quietly as she plucks a cord from the floor and holds it up with a small smile. “Where to, captain?”

“Closet, over to your right.” Blake murmurs, trying to quell the gentle sting in her chest. She admits that, deep down in the most selfish parts of her being, she had been hoping that Yang  _ may  _ have been wanting to spend more time with her… but perhaps that was foolish. Blake doubts that she had much to offer her, after all. 

“Woah. Hey, who’s guitar is this?”

“Guitar— ah, fuck!” Blake hisses under her breath, her chest growing tight at the sight of Yang staring curiously at a guitar case. With ears pinned back against her head, she slowly walks over and crosses her arms, inhaling deeply and desperately trying to appear calmer than she feels. “Oh, that old thing? That’s- that’s mine.”

Blake fails. She knows she fails the moment her voice cracks and her breathing hitches. She knows she fails the moment Yang looks up, her hand on the head of the case, and watches her,  _ observes  _ her, before her gaze softens and she tilts her head. 

“Yours? I didn’t know you played.”

“I don’t. Not anymore.” Blake swallows past a lump in her throat as memories begin to flood her mind. Of bleeding fingertips and bruised wrists. Of a hand pinching her thighs in admonishment and of a cold and cruel voice hissing into her ear. Of a simple joy slowly being poisoned by a toxic touch. Of thorns swallowing her up, bit by bit and day by day. “Not- not for a while, actually.”

“I see.” Yang says, her tone soft. When Blake glances up, her eyes are shining with sympathy instead of pity. A gentle compassion and empathy as she carefully tucks the guitar way back into the closet, along with the skeletons of the past that she’s too scared to show her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—“

“No. No, you’re fine. Just- well, we all have bad memories, right?” Blake says, chuckling weakly as she steps back and looks away from Yang, hating how her eyes sting with the threat of tears. “We all got our own bullshit.”

The tragic reality of those words doesn’t pass over her head in the slightest.

“I mean… sure. Everybody’s a little bit traumatised, babe. But that doesn’t mean you have to brush yours off.” Yang says quietly, carefully leaning over so that she could look  _ up _ at Blake and smile, a small and reassuring thing that, quite frankly, has no right to be messing with Blake’s head as much as it is. “Everyone‘s a little bit traumatised… but I think that’s why we need to be kind… so our trauma doesn’t turn pain into spite. So that we don’t end up creating a cheap villain’s origin story out of our pain. That- does that make sense or am I just rambling here?”

A grin. A large, nervous and utter adorable grin that makes Blake’s heart flutter. “You… yeah. Yeah, it makes sense.” Blake says softly, reaching up to her head and nervously adjusting her ponytail and running her hands down her undercut as Yang straightens herself up with a relieved sigh. “Thanks.”

“No need. Every closet’s got a skeleton… mine has at least two if you count my pre-coming out days.” Yang quips with a playful wink before a loud snort leaves her and she  _ giggles at her own joke like fucking nerd. _ “Get it? Because—“

“ _ Because  _ you’re gay and you were in the closet, yes, I get it. Thank you.” Blake says with a dry little smile, chuckling softly as she turns away from Yang and walks back over to her garbage bag, using the move as an excuse to wipe her eyes. “Shall we get back to it?”

“Sure— hey, quick question?”

Blake smirks.  _ Always with the “quick questions”.  _ “Hm?”

“When did you get your hair cut like that? Is it hard to maintain? It looks sick as fuck. Honestly, I’ve always wanted to get some kinda shave but… my hair is, like, the one thing I’m super vain about.” Yang says cheerfully, grinning over at Blake as she turns to arch a brow at the talkative guitarist. “Well… that and the gun show… speaking of which, you’ve got quite the show yourself there, Belladonna. You work out?” She adds with a playful flex of her arm that Blake does not oggle for even one second, thank you very much.

“Often but not often enough to beat you in an arm wrestling match so get that idea out of your head.”

“Oh come on! It could be fun! I’ll even go easy on ya!” Yang’s grin is firmly in place now as she walks and cleans as she goes, a little bounce to her step and a little sway to her hips. 

“We have very different ideas of fun.”

“Fine. How about a deal?” Yang says with a slow smirk, cocking her weight to one foot. Blake can all but  _ see  _ her dangling a challenge in front of her and she kind of hates her for how it stirs something in her chest, a simple earnestness she hadn’t felt for a long time. “You show me  _ your  _ idea of fun and I show you  _ mine,  _ rock star. Let’s see who can show the other a better time.”

Blake clears her throat and shakes her head to remove it from the  _ very  _ filthy gutter it had fallen into before she responds to Yang. “Rock star? Such an original name.” She teases, laughing softly when Yang shoots her an offended glare. She sighs, rubbing the side of her neck as she looks at Yang, wondering at the hopeful glint in her lilac gaze, and lets out a small scoff. “Can I ask  _ why  _ you wanna do this?”

“I told you… I look forward to seeing who Blake Belladonna is. Figured that hanging out with her might just be the best way to that.” Yang says with a nervous shrug, her hands moving to clasp together behind her head in a show of nonchalance. “I mean… if she’d be willing to. I think she’d be a pretty cool friend. Maybe I could even get to sign one of my guitars.”

Yang winks and Blake feels her cheeks heat up. Taking the bluff, she ignores the stirring of hope within her chest and cocks her head at Yang smirks right back at her. “Ah. That’s why you were so eager to join… you’re a  _ fangirl.” _

“No!” 

Yang’s voice pitches, her cheeks tinting a dark red as she sputters, all efforts of coolness gone to waste as she stutters and stumbles over her words. Blake grins. Yang was cute when she was flustered.

“Aw. Adorable. Who’s your favourite member? Was it me?” She teases, not truly expecting it to be  _ her,  _ out of everyone. But then… Yang’s flush darkens and a nervous giggle escapes her as she looks away, anywhere but at Blake. Blake’s jaw falls slack and she lets out a soft laugh of disbelief. “Oh my  _ God…  _ it was me! Holy shi—“

“Shut up.”

“You’re blushing.” Blake sings teasingly, rather enjoying herself as Yang lets out a small growl. Blake giggles, covering her mouth as Yang pouts and crosses her arms, staring at Blake with what looks to be an attempt to appear unimpressed. “Oh wow. If  _ this  _ is what’s to be expected of hanging out with you, I’m in, Xiao Long.”

“Great. Glad to be of entertainment to you, Belladonna.” Yang deadpans, though Blake can see how her eyes crinkle at the corners, giving away her own amusement as she huffs. “Okay… fine. Maybe I think that you’re the coolest one out of the lot… though I’m starting to realise that you’re all a bunch of nerds. No wonder my sister likes y’all so much.”

“Says the woman that laughs at her own jokes… like a  _ nerd.” _

“Then show me what you got, rock star.” Yang taunts, arching her brow challengingly at Blake as they stare one another down. “Show me what fun means for the lead singer of Strawberry Sunrise.”

“Text me your address and I’ll pick you up next Saturday so we can hang out.” Blake relents with a sigh, rolling her eyes as though finally worn down, as though she hadn’t been planning on saying yes from the start. “I’ll show you what I do on Saturdays.”

“Ooh. The infamous “Blake Time” Saturdays. I can’t wait.” 

Blake rolls her eyes  _ again _ and returns back to the task at hand, biting her bottom lip to keep the smile from growing. It was impressive how Yang could sound so damn teasing and so  _ genuine  _ all at the same time. She has to admit that it’s nice,  _ really  _ nice, not to have to walk on eggshells around their guitarist this time round. To be able to joke and tease and laugh without fear of retribution and punishment.

It’s nice to just feel  _ young  _ again, without the heavy weight of his presence weighing down upon her 24 year old shoulders. 

It’s nice to  _ just live.  _


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our lead singer shows a certain guitarist what she does for fun.

“You know… when you said we had a gig… I thought you meant a dive bar or some shit. Not  _ this!  _ This is gonna be insane! _ ” _

Blake smirks as Yang places an amp speaker down towards the back of the stage and looks around with wide eyed wonder at where their audience will be. With their show taking place at the end of the month, Weiss was having them doing weekly rehearsals at the place of performance; a rather large bar in uptown Vale. 

“Oh honey.” Ilia laughs, walking past Blake with a keyboard stand folded securely under one arm. She reaches out a hand, letting her hand nudge Blake playfully as she looks up at her with a sly grin and a knowing wink that makes Blake snort a laugh. “You have no idea.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” A confused Yang asks, turning to Blake as Ilia wanders off to high five a snickering Ruby. Her brow is furrowed as she stares at Blake, her head tilted to one side in her confusion and Blake can’t help but find the sight strangely endearing. “Do y’all attract nutcases for your shows or something?”

“You’ll see soon enough, Xiao Long.” Blake says with a low chuckle, smirking softly as she thinks about the rigging above them, knowing that Yang has  _ no  _ idea what she’s in for. “Okay… so this is your first rehearsal so don’t worry if you fumble or make a mistake. You’re used to busking so don’t be too hard on yourself, alright? This is why we have rehearsals.”

“Please. I think I’ll be just fine, Belladonna.”

“Sure you are.” Blake laughs softly, biting her lip as she turns away and heads back stage, letting the shadows swallow her whole as Yang watches her go. 

The first reaction was  _ always  _ the best one.

///

Blake smirks softly to herself as she looks down from the rigging, watching as Ruby and Yang lead them into their opening song. Even from way above the crowd, she can see the way Yang searches for her, seemingly confused as to where Strawberry Sunrise’s lead singer had disappeared off to.

_ Well… no matter. She’ll see soon enough. _

Blake inhales deeply and and readjusts the black aerial silk, holding it tightly in her hand and keeping it locked around her feet as her free hand tightens around the microphone. She can feel the way her heart begins to race in anticipation of her grand entrance and, with a small nod to her assistant, steps away from the scaffolding and onto the silk entirely just as Sun and Ilia begin to play their respective instruments.

_ “No attorneys to plead my case _

_ No orbits to send me to outta space  _

_ And my fingers are bejeweled _

_ With diamonds and gold _

_ But that ain’t gonna help me now!” _

Blake can feel her lips stretch into a wide grin as she uses her hand and legs to lower herself down in front of their lead guitarist . Her ears twitch at the sound of Yang’s guitar going dead silent, earning a soft and sly smirk as Blake tips herself backwards and supports her weight upside down with her thighs as she meets Yang’s gaze, amused amber meeting bewildered lilac. Feeling particularly cheeky, she winks and brings herself back up slowly, making sure to keep her movements as fluid as possible as she goes so as not to disrupt her singing.

_ “I’m trouble, yeah trouble now _

_ I’m trouble, y’all _

_ I disturb my town _

_ Yeah trouble now _

_ I’m trouble, y’all  _

_ I got trouble in my town.” _

Blake dismounts gracefully, dropping her mic from her mouth as her bandmates all pull back from their instruments with bright and amused cackles when Yang lets out a high pitched squeak.

“What… the fuck…  _ was that?!” _

Blake chuckles and steps around her silk, feeling a small burst of pride as Yang’s eyes drift to her exposed midriff for a moment. “That, Xiao Long, is a little something we’ve been working on to… let's just say… spice up our intro?” Blake says, smirking up into Yang’s face as the poor, confused woman stumbles over her words. “In case you can’t tell? We don’t half-ass anything—” Blake reaches out and gently presses her fingertips under Yang’s chin to press her slack jaw shut, her touch lingering for a long moment as they stare at each other. “— think you can keep up?”

Blake watches Yang’s jaw clenches at the challenge and she pulls back from Blake with a smirk of her own. “Oh, trust me. I can keep up just fine.”

“Yeah, just try to actually keep playing next time, blondie.” Ilia snorts, earning a sharp glare from Yang as she cracks her knuckles and grins wickedly at her. “We need you focused—“

“Says the woman that practically had a blood nose the first time she saw Blake do her thi—“

“Ruby! I will yeet you off of this fucking stage!”

Blake laughs softly, glancing back at Yang and biting her lip when she notices the dark flush spreading across Yang’s cheeks. Hesitantly, she reaches out and touches her hand and offers her a small smile. “Sorry. But it’s kind of a rite of passage. At least you’ve got a taste of what’s to come.” 

“To come?” 

“On Saturday, Yang.” Blake grins sharply, watching as Yang’s face pales slightly as she looks at the black aerial silk, her lilac eyes wide with a sense of alarm.

“Wait…  _ What?!” _

* * *

“Oh boy _. _ ”

Blake laughs as she steps into the centre of the practice room, smirking lightly as she begins to unravel the training silks. She can hear Yang following behind her and for that, she has to give her credit. “Yep. This, Xiao Long, is my idea of fun.”

“I don’t think I’m flexible enough for this… or graceful enough.” Yang says doubtfully, staring up at the silk with a scrutinising glare. She turns to Blake, cocking her head with a soft laugh and shaking her head. “Then again… I probably can do this… yeah… on second thought, I’ve  _ totally  _ got this.”

“Probably being the operative word.”

“Hey!” Yang pouts, crossing her arms and glaring at Blake lightly, though Blake can see her lips twitching into a small smile. “If you can do this, I can do this, right? It’ll be a cinch.”

“We’ll see about that. Now step back so I can show you what to do… and pay attention, would you? You’re having a go right after.” Blake chuckles softly, arching a brow as Yang steps back and smirks. “I know I make it look easy… but trust me, you’ll be working up a sweat by the time you’re done.”

“If I can climb a rock wall, I can do this.”

“Hmm… your confidence is utterly adorable. I’m going to have fun watching it wither away.” Blake says teasingly, gently holding onto her silk and smirking over at her companion. Her left ear twitches when Yang playfully scoffs at her, her lilac eyes gleaming with good humour as she steps off of the mat to give Blake room. “Okay… so welcome to the Aerial Classroom where—“

“Where we teach our little birds to fly.”

Blake smirks softly as an older woman steps up beside Yang, taking the guitarist by surprise and pulling a startled yelp from her. “Hi, Mum. Thanks for letting me have the room on such short notice.” Blake quips, grinning as her mother walks over to her and pulls her into a tight hug. For a moment, she lets herself sink into her mother’s arms, her smile softening as Kali pulls back and steps around her to adjust her ponytail. Years ago… she may have been embarrassed by the attention. But now, finally free of the isolation Adam had tried to force her into, she grants her mother these small moments of parental care with a fond eye roll. “This is Yang. I’m going to be showing her the silks today.”

“Oh… Yang, hm? The new guitarist I keep hearing about?” Kali murmurs softly, arching a brow at Blake and smirking softly. “I see. Well… have fun, dear. Don’t kill her yet.”

“Ye- yet?” Yang echoes, her brow furrowing as Kali walks away with an amused giggle. She glances at Blake, her nose scrunching up in confusion when Blake offers her nothing but a silent smirk. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means your first lesson starts now so start warming up, Xiao Long. You’re gonna need it.”

* * *

“I think I’m getting rope burn on my feet.”

“You’re being a big baby is what’s happening.”

Blake grins up at Yang, crossing her arms as Yang clings to the silk. Blake can’t say that she minds being on the floor this time, considering she’s getting first row seats to the way Yang’s arms and shoulders flex under the exertion of holding her weight up. She shrugs when Yang glares down at her, though her lilac gaze quickly widens in alarm as the silk begins to turn, leaving the poor airborne guitarist spinning slowly in place.

“Stop shifting your weight.”

“I’m trying!”

“Slowly slide down, Xiao Long. If you go slow, it’s less likely that you’ll suffer fabric burns.” Blake says with a soft huff of laughter as Yang lets out a loud and indignant whine. Rolling her eyes, Blake reaches out to stabilise the silk, offering her companion a reassuring smile when Yang shoots her a suspicious glance. “It’s okay. I’ve helped my Mum teach kids before. I won’t let you get hurt.”

Yang lets out a soft grunt of acknowledgment and slowly uses her hands to lower herself to the ground. She dismounts, letting out a yelp as she loses her balance and falls onto her back, landing with a soft groan as she looks up at Blake with an irritable snort. “You do this for fun?”

“This is just the boring part.” Blake retorts, giggling as she offers Yang a hand and pulls her to her feet. She braces her hands on Yang’s biceps, holding her as she regains her footing and smiles up at her. “You’re doing pretty good for a newbie, though. Much better than I was when I began.”

“How old were you?”

“Two.”

“Great. I’m better than a toddler.”

Blake laughs, biting her lip softly as she steps back from Yang and gestures with her chin to step back. “Ready for the next move?”

_ “Sure, let’s do this!” _

* * *

“Okay, see how the silk is knotted around your foot?” Blake says from where she kneels by Yang, looking up at where Yang is balancing on one foot and clinging to the silk. Yang nods, her gaze curious and intense as she pays careful attention to Blake. “This is going to be your support. You need to trust that it won’t fail you. Can you do that?”

“I mean… I trust  _ you,  _ so yeah.” Yang says with a small smile that really shouldn’t make Blake’s chest constrict like it does. “I trust it.”

“Uh.” Blake says eloquently. She clears her throat roughly and turns away to rub the side of her neck, feeling disarmingly shy as she lets out a small laugh and stands up. “Good. So take your right hand— yup — and hold onto your silk tightly. Good… now let go of your left hand and slowly lean towards the left as you lift your free leg up. There you go!”

“Woah— hey! I’m doing it!” Yang grins, holding out her free limbs with a small laugh. Her eyes are bright and delighted, her expression utterly thrilled, as she spins around in place. “You know… this is actually pretty fun. What else can you teach me?”

_ “I… have a couple other things in mind.” _

* * *

“No.”

Blake grins. 

“My leg ain’t doing that, babe. Ain’t happening.”

Blake smirks and leans back against one side of the silk loop and crosses her arms lazily behind her head. She stands in the centre of the silk loop with her supporting foot knotted in the bottom of the silk while her free foot is braced against the opposite side of the loop, held high above her head. A glance at Yang reveals the guitarist watching her with a slack jaw, her eyes wide with awe as she swallows visibly. “Come on. You’re athletic. All athletes have some degree of flexibility.”

“Not that much! Your foot might as well be behind your fucking head, Belladonna!”

“Oh, I can do that too.”

“Of course you can!”

Blake laughs and lets herself fall to one side, reaching out a hand to grip the silk and bring herself down to the ground in a graceful spin. She looks up, her cheeks growing warm at the way Yang’s watching her, as though she’s watching something to be revered. “Uh— heh. Okay… you wanna try?”

“Try being the operative word, rock star.”

Blake giggles and helps guide Yang into position, gently supporting her weight as Yang tries to lift her leg up as high as she can…

Only for her to fall out of the silk and into Blake’s arms.

“Hey-!”

“Mother fucker!”

Blake groans and looks up, freezing in place as she finds herself staring into Yang’s eyes. Her hands rest on Yang’s waist in an attempt to catch her before they collided with the mat and Yang’s own arms are supporting her weight by Blake’s head. Their noses are brushing and when Blake  _ really  _ looks, she can see flecks of crimson red in Yang’s pretty, lilac gaze. She swallows hard, and her gaze drifts from Yang’s eyes to the freckles covering her cheeks to the pretty swell of her lips, parted as she tries to regain her breath from the fall.

“See? I told you wouldn’t let you get hurt.” Blake murmurs, glancing back up to Yang’s eyes and offering her a small and helpless smile when Yang laughs softly. “I caught you.”

“So you did.” Yang says softly, her tongue drawing Blake’s attention as she wets her lips nervously. “Um… you okay? I landed pretty heavily on you.”

“Yeah, I’m—“

“Blake— oh! Am I interrupting something?”

Blake yelps as she and Yang scramble to their feet, eyes averted from each other as Kali arches a knowing brow at her daughter. Blake glares at her mother as she crosses her arms with an offended huff, daring her mother to prove her wrong. “No,  _ Mother.  _ Yang just fell and I caught her. Nothing happened.”

“Somebody fell alright.”

“Don’t you have class schedules to set up?”

“Yes. I need you two out of here in an hour. Apparently, I have a demo to— actually… would you mind giving it?” Kali says with a sly smile that Blake very much does  _ not  _ like. She crosses over to Blake, glancing pointedly at an embarrassed Yang before curling her arm around Blake’s bicep and giving her a sickly-sweet smile. “Please? Your old mother isn’t what she used to be and I know how you like showing off.”

“Fine! But don’t think that I don’t see what you’re doing,  _ Mum.” _

“I’m innocent, I swear.”

Blake growls under her breath. 

She loves her mother to death…

But she could really do without her trying to be a wingman.

* * *

Blake’s routine ends as she swings to the ground gracefully, letting her legs settle elegantly beneath her as her head tilts back to expose her neck and chest. She’s breathing hard as the small crowd applauds but her eyes go straight to Yang, her breath catching in her throat as Yang watches her in stunned silence as kids and parents alike rush past her to talk to Kali. Blake, however, simply stands and wanders casually over to Yang and offers her a small smile, shrugging nonchalantly.

“I know it was pretty basic… but what did you think?”

“... that was basic?” Yang says quietly, her voice leaving her throat in a breathless laugh as she gives Blake an incredulous stare. “ _ That _ was  _ basic?! _ Oh my Go- you’re, like… insane. The way you were flipping and spinning and dropping and- and just- you were- that was—“ Yang stammers, her grin bright and earnest as she moves her hands emphatically, as though trying to get Blake to see what she saw. “I just— is that what you wanna put into the show? Because you’re gonna kill people with that!”

“I- well, yeah. I… used to perform in close quarters with our last guitarist and I wanted to add a little…  _ something,  _ y’know?” Blak says with an awkward little laugh, shrugging lightly as Yang’s grin softens ever so slightly. “My Mum taught me from an early age and I just kept it up to keep fit. Figured adding it to the show might be a fun idea.”

“It is.” Yang confirms, her cheeks slowly tinting pink. “You’re pretty amazing, y’know that?”

Blake looks away, shrugging lightly with a nervous giggle as she steps away from Yang. “Uh… I’m just— I’m going to go get dressed. Uh… meet you out here?”

Yang nods and Blake walks quickly to the change rooms, desperately trying to ignore the racing of her heart and the heat rushing to her cheeks.

_ “Somebody fell alright.” _

Blake growls and shoves her mother’s words to the back of her mind. Nobody was falling for anybody.

Certainly not Blake.

She couldn’t afford to fall a second time.


End file.
